Stories and facts
Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia’s expulsion from Parliament on 26 June 1959 marks a pivotal moment in Ghana’s early post-independence history, highlighting the intense political struggles and shifting power dynamics of the period.
Born in Wenchi in the Brong-Ahafo region, Busia was a distinguished scholar, earning a doctorate in social anthropology from Oxford University and becoming the first African to attend the institution. Upon returning to Ghana, he quickly became a leading figure in the Legislative Council, representing the Ashanti Confederacy and advocating for democratic governance.
Busia emerged as a vocal opponent of President Kwame Nkrumah, leading the Ghana Congress Party, which later merged with other groups to form the United Party, the main opposition to Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP). This opposition was rooted in concerns over Nkrumah’s consolidation of power and the erosion of democratic checks and balances, particularly following actions such as the destoolment of non-CPP chiefs in the Ashanti Region.
Amidst rising political tensions, Nkrumah’s government enacted the Preventive Detention Act in 1958, granting the executive sweeping powers to detain individuals without trial for up to five years. Fearing for his safety as the government cracked down on opposition figures, Busia fled Ghana in 1959, seeking refuge in Europe and resuming his academic career.
While in exile, Parliament officially expelled Busia on June 26, 1959, a move that underscored the increasingly repressive political climate and the marginalisation of dissenting voices. The expulsion exemplified the wider suppression of opposition during Nkrumah’s rule, as the government aimed to eliminate challenges to its authority.
Busia remained abroad until the overthrow of Nkrumah’s government in 1966. He later returned to Ghana and, in 1969, became the country’s second Prime Minister. Despite his eventual ousting in a 1972 coup, Busia’s commitment to democracy and his resistance to authoritarianism have left a lasting imprint on Ghana’s political landscape.
Dr. Busia’s expulsion from Parliament is remembered as a defining moment in Ghana’s journey toward multiparty democracy and political pluralism.
Explore the timeline below to learn more about K.A. Busia's life and career
